Gujian 3 - Seriously one of the best and most underrated RPG's i've ever played.

[Sergeynest]

I've recently been playing this chinese RPG called Gujian 3 and I'm by now about 30 hours plus into the game and I don't even know if I'm halfway through the game or not; but one thing I know for sure is that this has been so far a great experience and I even dare say that this is one of the best RPG's I have ever played.


This game was already in my steam wishlist for a while and I was waiting for its price to drop. It is currently at 7,49 euros on the Steam Summer sale and I can say that for this price this game is an absolute steal and a must buy for sure.

If you have already played the Witcher 2 or 3 and liked it then you will definitely enjoy this game; I even dare say that this game has the same quality has the games in the witcher series and that it must have had an indentical development budget.
Another interesting thing is that this game has also gameplay elements that are very similar to those of the Shenmue series mainly Shenmue 2 and 3.
The game takes place in severall open world areas similar to games like Witcher 2 and Dragon Age and some of those areas take place in the Chinese countryside with severall areas that reminded me of Guilin; Bailu Village; Niaowu, etc...
As for the gameplay; in terms of combat the game is very similar to the Witcher games; and in other elements it is very similar to Shenmue 3 and I kid you not.
There are QTE sequences; you can collect herbs; buy food; medicine, etc... There is even a fishing mini game that plays out very similar to the Turtle racing mini game in Shenmue 3 and there is also a card game like in the witcher 3. "You can even feed a cat in this game :)"
Later on you can even build you own base through a very well though out crafting system.
The music in this game is also very good; with relaxing music tracks that will definitely remind you of the music from the Shenmue series.
The story is also very good as well as its cast of characters. If you are the Shenmue fan that enjoys the mystical and mythological elements of the story then you will certainly enjoy the story in this game.

So if you enjoyed playing through the Witcher series and Shenmue 3 in particular then you should definitely consider buying this game; specially at its current price wich in my opinion is an absolute steal and a must buy. You can also check out the comments about the game in its steam page wich has more than 27,000 very positive reviews.

Going to leave some links and pictures of the game below for you guys to check out and if you happened to buy this game or have already played it please share your opinion; because I would really like hear your thoughts about it.

Steam Store Page:
Poupa 70% em 古剑奇谭三(Gujian3) no Steam (steampowered.com)

Some relaxing music tracks from the game with some beautifull pictures:
Gujian 3 (古剑奇谭三) OST - Skyelk, Qixia, Yanling, Yangping, Xiling + Extras - YouTube

Some pictures from the game:

Spoiler

Village similar to Bailu













Fishing Mini Game



The lighting in this game is great.



One of the most beautifull towns in the game.













Witcher style side quest board.

























Does this remind you of Shenmue 3





Witcher style card game.

Guilin !?

Shenmue 2 Flashbacks !?



Niaowu Vibes !?

Niaowu Foodstands !?

Steamed Buns !?

 

[Sput Vas Normandy]

Yes I saw it in the first day of the steam's sale. Never saw it before. I watched the videos and felt "whoa, this has Shenmue vibes". But didnt buy it yet, just wishlist, but definetely I'm gonna try it in the future.

 

[Sergeynest]

Yes I saw it in the first day of the steam's sale. Never saw it before. I watched the videos and felt "whoa, this has Shenmue vibes". But didnt buy it yet, just wishlist, but definetely I'm gonna try it in the future.

Do it; you wont regret it.
I've been playing it for the past two weeks whenever I got the time and so far I haven't played anything else ever since.
This means a lot because whenever I play a game from start to finish without playing another in between it usually ends up being my favourite game of the year.

 

[Sput Vas Normandy]

Do it; you wont regret it.
I've been playing it for the past two weeks whenever I got the time and so far I haven't played anything else ever since.
This means a lot because whenever I play a game from start to finish without playing another in between it usually ends up being my favourite game of the year.

Yes, I will.

I thought "I should open a thread in the dojo about this game" but I was sure somebody'd do it. I wasnt wrong lol.

 

[高野和泉]

I don't have a beefy enuf PC for modern games sadly. Seems interesting & I'll def check it out if there's a console port or one day when I have a more modern gaming pc.

 

[SplashBreeze]

This thread piqued my interest so I bought the game. I'll report back with thoughts after I've played a bit.

 

[Sergeynest]

This thread piqued my interest so I bought the game. I'll report back with thoughts after I've played a bit.

Nice; I'm really looking forward in hearing your toughts about it.

 

[Sergeynest]

So; today I've finished Gujian 3 and I'm going to make my review and share my thoughts about the game.
Overhaul I had a wonderful experience playing Gujian 3 and I honestly think that this is one of the best Rpg's I've ever played.
For me it is at the same level as other AAA titles out there like the Witcher 2 & 3; Dragon Age Inquisition; etc...
Overhaul it took me 50+ hours to finish the game; but this is without completing all of the side quests and unlocking all the items in the crafting system.
I think that I could easily spend another 50 hours to complete everything in the game.
"I also think there other two alternative paths you can take; but i'm not certain how to unlock them."
By completing the story I've unlocked a challenge mode where you fight creatures from the game and the Bosses that will unlock new items to use in the game.

My Review:

Story - This is a very heavy story driven game from start to finish; so much so that it is very dificult to keep up with everything that is going on while you play. Luckily there is a resume that you unlock as the story moves forward so you can backtrack anything that you have missed along the way; but besides that the story overhaul is very good.
It is inspired in chinese mythology and the early centuries of Chinese recorded history from the time of the Yellow Emperor and Chiyou; mixed with fantasy elements of Chinese culture. Overhaul I give it an 8/10.

Characters - This is one of the strongest points in this game. All characters are charismatic with their own personalities and backgrounds. From the main hero and villain to their respective allies; all of them have their personal reasons to be who they were and what they have become as well as the relationships between them. Overhaul I give it an 9/10.

Game World - Another one of the strongest points in the game. This game is composed of severall diferent unique areas; ranging from medium to large; but I believe a lot of them are about the same size.
What makes this game world great is that all these areas are unique and all of them are very well crafted and gorgeous to look at.
There are cities and small villages to visit; forests; beautifull mountains; snow covered fields; desert and tropical areas and other worldly places. I greatly enjoyed all of the unique areas I've explored in this game and always felt immersed in them while playing the game; so overhaul I give it a 10/10.

Graphics - The graphics in this game are very good; like Shenmue 3 this game isn't graphically impressive but the game world is absolutely gorgeous and very well crafted; as well as all the main characters in the game; some of the npc's are copy paste versions of one another; but overhaul it is a very good looking game. I give it an 8/10.

Sound - The sound in this game is very good; the music is great with each game world area having its unique music track and all of them fitted very well their respective environments. Although being in Chinese; voice acting felt pretty good and very solid; specially considering that I could really feel when characters where having more emotional moments of dialogue.
Sound FX are also very good; the only area I felt could be improved was the environmental sounds.
Even if you don't end up playing the game I feel that you should listen to the soundtrack specially if you are like me and like to listen to relaxing music tracks wich in this game are very good. Overhaul I give it a 9/10.

Gameplay - Very solid gameplay; it is one of those games that is easy to learn but hard to master; specially if you like a challenge and want to play in a more dificult level. In terms of combat it is very similar to the witcher games; because you have to know what technique is better against a certain type of enemy; timing, dodging and parrying are also essential when fighting.
There are also puzzles to solve and severall mini games that you can play; wich include a fishing mini game similar to Shenmue 3; an interesting card mini game like in the witcher 3 and there is also an elaborate crafting system where you can built your own base; craft items, weapons, armors, accessories; etc... There is also a lot more you can do but I don't to spoil it to much.
All I can say is that if you enjoy this type of feature in a game that will have a lot of hours to dig into it.
Overhaul I give it a 9/10.


In my opinion Gujian 3 is an highly underrated RPG and a true Hidden Gem of a game.
I have no doubt that if this game was ported into consoles like the PS4 or 5; Xbox One or Series X or even the Switch that it would become very successfull and much better well known amongst players around the world.
Like I've said before; I've had a wonderfull experience playing Gujian 3 and honestly think it is one of the best RPG's I've ever played.
If you enjoy playing RPG's you should definitely consider playing this game; I can almost absolutely guarantee that you will not be disapointed and on the contrary will be extremely surprised with it.

Overhaul I give Gujian 3 a 9/10 and my absolute Seal of Approval.

 

[Sergeynest]

Here are some amazing shots that I've taken while playing the game.

Spoiler

 

[SplashBreeze]

@Sergeynest I'm planning to boot up today and so I thought I'd ask a couple of questions that popped into my head:

1. I noticed the game does seem to support controllers. Which way did you play?
2. Are Guijan 1 & 2 separate in terms of story content? Is there anything a player is expected to already know going into 3?

 

[Dietsoap]

Here are some amazing shots that I've taken while playing the game.

Spoiler

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Do you have a close up screenshot of that shoulder-monkey thing from the front?

 

[Sergeynest]

I

@Sergeynest I'm planning to boot up today and so I thought I'd ask a couple of questions that popped into my head:

1. I noticed the game does seem to support controllers. Which way did you play?
2. Are Guijan 1 & 2 separate in terms of story content? Is there anything a player is expected to already know going into 3?

1- Played with a controller.
The button configuration is very similar to other games of the genre; so I believe you will have no problems adapting to the gameplay.

2 - I don't think so; Gujian 3's story seems to be unique on its own; at least that was the impression I was left with when playing the game; but I also wouldn't discard Gujian 1 & 2 being based on the same lore and some events being related; but since 1 & 2 are only available in Chinese it is hard to tell; but you can definitely play Gujian 3 without having played 1 & 2.
I havent played them and never that I was missing something about the story while playing Gujian 3.

What was hard for me was to keep up with all the lore that the characters are constantly dumping on you; in fact I will have to go and read the lore that is available for consulting in the gameplay menu because I believe I missed a lot if things along the way; buy the general plot you will understand; so dont worry to much.

 

[Sergeynest]

Do you have a close up screenshot of that shoulder-monkey thing from the front?

These are accessories that you can buy and craft in the game and use in your characters.
You can also insert Spirit Stones in them to get Buffs to your stats and elemental resistances; etc...
They are kind of like the Chobu Chan's of the game.

Spoiler

 

[Sergeynest]

Gujian 3 on sale 70% discount:

 

[Sheephead]

Never heard of the game before, but you peaked my interest with this thread a few weeks back

Was waiting for it to go back on sale so jumped on this 70% off! Will hopefully find some time to play it soon and will report back once I've sunk a decent chunk of time into it!

 

[9dragons]

Have never heard about that game before but it looks just beatiful and the has a nice setting. I think I am gonna give it try when it is on sale on Steam.

thanks for the recommendation @Sergeynest

Edit Just saw that is on steam on sale already and i could not resist. Bought it already.

 

[Sergeynest]

Relaxing music compilation from Gujian 3 with some great panoramic shots from the game.